President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) emphasized four elements that he says “of course” make Taiwan a country in the first of his “10 Talks on the Country” (團結國家十講) delivered Sunday evening at a Rotary International joint meeting.

The four elements Lai outlined in his speech were people, land, government, and sovereignty. Taiwan has linguistically and ecologically been independent since long before recorded history, according to Lai, who emphasized its significance in Austronesian culture. 

The president added that China’s claims that Taiwan is an inseparable part of its ancient history are untrue, and said the PRC has never ruled Taiwan for even a single day. Lai also challenged China’s claim over Taiwan based on a misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758, which he said only deals with the issue of UN representation.

Lai doubled down, stating that whether it’s called the Republic of China, Republic of China Taiwan, or Taiwan, it is an independent, sovereign state.

The president additionally outlined five major threats Taiwan is facing due to China: (1) threats against sovereignty, (2) infiltration of Taiwanese forces and espionage, (3) muddling of national identity, (4) infiltration through cross-strait exchanges, and (5) attracting Taiwanese businesses and youth to China via development programs. Lai said he wants to clarify national identity and clear up confusion, making unity Taiwan’s most solid line of defense.